Bagasse-burner



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

E. A. KOCH.

BAGASSE BURNER.

' No. 527,001. .Patentd oet. 2,1894.

(No Model.) 2 'Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. KOCH.

' BAGASSB BURNER.

'Patnted 001;. 2,1S94.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDOUARD ALPHONSE KOCH, OF BAYOU GOULA, LOUISIANA.

eAcAs'ss -Bu RN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.'527,oo1, dated octobere, v1894..- Appnmio'n fixed April 9,1894. serai No. 506.899. mamas.) Y A To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDOUARD ALPHONSE KOCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayou Goula, in the parish of Iberville' and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bagasse- Burners; and I do hereby'declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others-Yv skilled in the art to which it appert'ainstomake and use the same.

This invention relates to furnaces, and, par ticularly, to the class known as bagasse burners.

The object is to obtain complete combustion of wet or green fuel, such as bagasse, sawdust, and the like, and, to this end, properlyfdistribute and regulate the blast and discharge it under the bottom and along the sides of the burning mass.

With these objects in view, the invention consists, generally, in novel construction and arrangements of parts in a baga'sse furnace, and in a hollow blast grate bar having peculiar features of construction, either combined or taken separately. v

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1- is la view in perspective, of a bagasse burning furnace, with a portion of the inclosing wall broken away, showing the graterbars in position and their relations. Fig. 2- is a fragmentary, sectional view,

taken horizontally of Fig. l, namely, through the plane of the upper surface of the gratebars and partially through the higher plane of the air-tuyeres, showing the bridge-wall with its chamberdivided vertically and alsohorizontally, with damper in the horizontal partition, and tuyeres leading into the gratebars and over them, and, also, one of the chambered side-walls, with passage from the chambered bridge-wall, on one side of its ver: tical partition, intothe chamber of the sidewall. Fig. 3f isa detail view'in perspective of a portion ofthe grate, showing the alternate and relative arrangement of the solid and hollow bars. Fig. 4- is a sectional view in detail, on an enlarged scale, and taken transversely of the bars, showing a hollow and a vsolid bar arranged sidevby side at a vsuitable distance apart, and provided with spacL ing lugs, the beveled edges of the hollowbar,

the lid r cover similarly beveled and removably secured on the hollow bar, by bolts, and

having its edgesprojecting beyond the sides of the bar proper and the air outlet or discharge openings formed between the beveled meeting faces of the bar and lid. Fig. 5; is a View in perspective, showing, in detail, the

Qunder side of the lid or cover ofthe 'hollow ,'bar. Fig. 6 4- is a topplan View, showing a llid formed in se`ctions,'or centrally joined. f

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation, showing the .side of the lid; and Fig. 8- is a view in perspectivc, showing, in detail, the solid bar and its detachable top or cover-plate.

The furnace illustrated by the drawings, is designed especially for wet, green, or finelydivided fueL-particularly, bagasse, now commonly used as fuel in the furnaces' of sugar houses, and is` provided with a battery of `boilers, arranged inva'horizontal series, a steamdrum located above 'and connected with the boilers, a mud-drum below the boilers andl in the rear ofthe combustion-chamber, hoppers through which thefuel may be introduced into the combustion-chamber;,and an airblast orI source of air-supply, such as a fan or blower.

In the drawings, A, represents the combustion-chamber of the furnace, formed by the front wall, a, the side walls, a2 and the bridgewall, a3. The bridge-wall is kmade-hollow or chambered at a4, and communicates with the source of ar-supply,a5, through a feed-pipe, a6. The side walls are also hollow or chambered, as shown, and communicate with the bridge-wall. Air-tuyeres, a7, vin the yside and bridge-walls, are arranged above and, if desired, below the grate, and communicate with IOO B, represents the hollow grate-bar, open at the top, with the upper faces, b, of its sides beveled inward to form a seat for a lid or cover, and provided at one end with a downward projecting hollow extension, b3, which is tapered to fit snugly into the flared mouth of the air-pipe, 0,13, through which air is introduced into the bar. The opposite end of the bar is cut away, to form a shouldered seat, b5, which,when the bar is placed asshown in Fig. 1, rests upon a ledge or other support of the front wall of the combustion-chamber.

C, represents an approximately T-shaped lid or cover, on the lower face of which a longitudinal extending rib, c, is formed. The edges of the lid are cut away or beveled inward toward the rib and in these beveled surfaces, c2, at each side of the rib, diagonally disposed notches, cuts, or grooves, c3, are formed. This lid is placed or seated upon the bar, completely closing the open top thereof, and secured by lock-bolts, c4, which pass through openings of both the bar and lid, or it may be held thereon by any other suitable means. With the lid in position, and its beveled faces lying in close contact with the beveled faces of the seat of the bar, outlets, c5, from the interior of the bar willbe formed by the cuts, notches, or grooves, c3, which are arranged diagonally, so as to discharge the air toward the bridge-wall and directly into the fuel. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7-of the drawings, the lid may be formed in sections, thus making it possible to replace a burned out or fractured portion at one half or one-third the original cost of the lid. The solid grate-bar may also be provided with a removable cover, as shown, to be replaced, as burned, and may be in sections.

To avoid accumulation or deposit in the outlet-openingsof the bars, the top or a part of the bar above the openings is given an increased width, so that there are projections or ledges sufficiently beyond the sides of the bar to keep the openings clear and free from particles of fuel, and this feature I claim with or without having the top removable as a lid.

The upper face of the lid is reinforced by having strengthening ribs, c, adapted to support the fuel and shield' the lid proper from excessive heating and consequent warping, also as spacing ribs, forming longtitudinal passages on the lid and affording free passage for the air between the ribs; and the lid may be turned end for end.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that in addition to the natural draft which, under favorable conditions, is suti cient to operate the furnace, a blast of air may be directedinto the fuel from thetuyeres of either side-wall ofl the combustion-cham ber or from both side and bridge-walls; from the hollow grate-bars, or from the side and bridge-walls and grate-bars, by means of the slide-dampers in the chamber of the bridgewall. This ready and complete control of the air-blast greatly increases the heating capacity or power of the furnace and, at the same time, secures a marked economy in the consumption of fuel by reason of more complete combustion.

A great advantage of the present grate-bar over any other, and one which distinguishes it from all others, and would seem to furnish the crucial test, both of distinguishrnent and of advantage, is the fact that, the air not having to struggle up through the fuel lying directly on the surface of the grate-bar, as is the case where openings, whether perpendicular or oblique, are on the surface of a grate-bar, the natural draft will, in many cases, suffice for adequate combustion in the furnace. asmuch as the openings of the present gratebar are at the side, the ledge will keep the fuel from choking them, and they will discharge freely into the open grating space between the common grate-bar and the hollow-blast grate-bar, so that the draft is very free; and, as the openings incline, preferably, to the rear, and are, preferably, at equal distances apart, the combustion is greatly equalized and the trend is all the stronger from front to rear, carrying the heated products of com-` bustion to the place where they are to exert and to perform their function, with greatest eect.

A feature of the gratebar which greatly adds to its value, is the provision of the entirely removable lid, or top-plate, and another is the division of this lid, where it is desired to have it so, into parts, so that the front part, burning out rst, can be replaced without loss of the rest. By the provision of removability of the whole lid, the burningtout of the lid does not affect use of the rest of the bar, but this can be continued in use with a new lid, thus effecting a saving of three-fourths of the cost of a whole bar; while, by capability of division of the lid, a saving of seven-eighths of the cost of the whole bar may be eected,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a furnace, the combination with the chambered bridge and side walls, the chambers thereof communicating with a source of air-supply and provided with outlets terminating in air-tuyeres opening into the combustion-chamber, of a grate composed of alternate hollow and solid bars, the hollow bars being connected with the chamber of the bridge-wall, and regulating dampers in the bridge-wall chamber controlling the air-supply, substantially as described.

2. In a furnace, the combination with the chambered side and bridge walls, the chambers thereof communicating with a source of air-supply and provided with outlets terminating in air-tuyeres opening into the combustion-chamber, of a grate composed of alternate hollow and solid bars, the hollow bars being connected with the chamber of the bridge-wall, and dampers in the bridge wall IOC IIO

chamber by which the air-blast maytbe controlled and directed through the tuyeres or the hollow bars, substantially as described.

3. ln a furnace, a chamber in a wall, the chamber having a horizontal partition, provided with one or more valves or dampers operated to establish or cut off communication between the parts of the chamber above and below the partition, and having openings out of the chamber, above and below the partition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a furnace, the combination with the chambered side and bridge walls, a connection from a source of air-supply to the chambers and outlets from the chambers terminating in air-tuyeres opening into the combustion-chamber, of a grate composed of alter-- nate hollow and solid bars, the hollow bars being connected with the chamber of the bridge-wall and provided with removable lids or covers and outlets between the adjoining surfaces of the bar and the lid, substantially as described.

5. A hollow grate-bar, open at the top and provided with an inlet, a lid removably secured upon the bar and completely closing the open top, the edges of the lid projecting beyond the sides of the bar, and a series of outlets formed between the adjoining faces of the bar and lid, substantially as described.

6. A hollow grate-bar, open at the top and provided with an inlet, a lid removably se-` cured upon the bar, and completely closing the vopen top thereof, the lower face of the lid being beveled from each edge, inward toward the center and diagonally notched or grooved to form a series of outlets discharging the air toward the bridge-wall and directly .into and under the fuel, substantially as described.

7. A hollow grate-bar having lateral Openings slanting upward and backward to discharge the air, when the 'grate-bar is in position, backward and directly under and into the fuel, and provided with a lid projecting laterally over the openings, to guard them and spread the blast, substantially as Adescribed.

8. The combination with a hollow gratebar havinglateral openings slanting upward and rearward, of grate-bars having their surfaces provided with one or more grooves, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a hollow gratebar of a lid or cover having a spacing rib or spacing ribs forming longitudinal passages on its surface, and made detachable and in sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof lafx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDOUARD ALPHONSE KOCH. Witnesses:

J As. M. RHORER, Jr., H. LOURRIERE. 

